Shedeur Sanders Confronts Browns Radio Host on Video, 'You Always Say Negative Stuff'

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders used his strong performance in Friday's preseason game against the Carolina Panthers to confront a local radio host for comments he has made about the rookie.

In a video posted on his brother's YouTube page (starts at 26:30 mark), Sanders spoke to 850 ESPN Cleveland host Tony Grossi and he hopes that he will find something positive to say after that game because "you always say negative stuff about me."

Sanders and Grossi seemed to be on good terms since the first-year quarterback ends the clip laughing and patting Grossi on the shoulder.

Speaking on his postgame radio show following the Browns' 30-10 win, Grossi did praise Sanders' "outstanding" effort.

Sanders went 14-of-23 for 138 yards and two touchdowns in the game. He played well into the third quarter with the Browns down to two quarterbacks because of injuries to Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel.

Grossi has been critical of some things about Sanders during training camp. One of his co-hosts recently pushed back when Grossi confused as to why Sanders had to be held out of a practice last week with a sore arm.

If there is a silver lining for Sanders, being the target of criticism from Grossi tends to be par for the course for Browns quarterbacks. Baker Mayfield walked out of a 2019 press conference because he didn't like the way Grossi was asking a question.

Quarterbacks are going to be more scrutinized than anyone else on the team because of the outsized importance of the position. That's especially true for this version of the Browns roster with four quarterbacks jockeying for position on the depth chart going into the regular season.

Sanders is also a unique prospect because he was arguably the most famous player in college football over the past two seasons, but he fell to the fifth round in the 2025 draft in part because teams were skeptical about his talent translating to the NFL.

Even if you don't want to defend Grossi's takes about Sanders, it's easy to understand why he might have developed a natural cynicism when it comes to Browns quarterbacks. The 68-year-old began covering the Browns on a full-time basis in 1984. He has seen a lot of bad quarterback play over the past four decades.

If Sanders continues to make strides in the way that he did as Friday's game went on, he will eventually get the positive press from Grossi that he is seeking.